Firearms / Sub machine guns / PPS-43
PPS-43
General Facts
- TYPE
Sub machine gun - ORIGIN
USSR
- NICKNAMES
Type 43 (original PPS-43 in Chinese service)
Type 54 (Chinese production) - DESIGNED
1942 - DESIGNER
Alexei Sudayev - PRODUCTION
1942 - 1948 (Soviet production)
1952 - 1955 (Polish production)
1954 - ? (Chinese production) - PRODUCERS
China - State arsenals
Poland - Lucznik arms factory
USSR - Sestoryesk arsenal
- QUANTITY
PPS-42: over 45.000
PPS-43: over 1 million
PPS wz. 1943/1952: 111.000 - UNIT COST
Very limited production costs - CHARACTERISTICS
Very low production costs
Easy to use and maintain
Low production quality
Limited accuracy
Introduction
The PPS-43 is a World War 2 era sub machine gun of Soviet origin. It was developed during the siege of Leningrad. During this time a cheaper and easier to produce weapon than the succesful PPSh-41 was required. The name PPS stands for Pistolet Pulemyot Sudayeva or Sudayev sub machine gun.
Design
The PPS-43 is a blowback operated weapon that fires from the open bolt position. The simple stamped receiver houses the bolt with its integrated cocking handle. Even without a wooden stock the PPS-43 requires less steel and parts than the PPSh-41. The curved magazine are not interchangeable with those of the PPSh-41.
Firepower
The PPS-43 fires the 7.62x25mm Tokarev round from a 35 round magazine. This round provides good penetration and reasonable stopping power. The PPS-43 fires fully automatic only at a rate of fire of 600 to 900 rpm. In theory the maximum range is 200 meters. In practice the maximum range is about 100 meters.
Users
The PPS-43 was widely used by Soviet forces during World War 2. After the war it remained in limited lower tier use. Many were exported to Soviet allies in Africa and Asia. After World War 2 the PPS-43 was also produced under license, most notably in China as the Type 54. Nowadays the PPS-43 is long obsolete and is only encountered on a limited scale in third world conflicts.
PPS-43
PPS-42: Original production version. Produced in limited quantities.
PPS-43: Main production version with integrated heat shield and shorter stock. Even cheaper and simpler to produce than the PPS-42.
PPS wz. 1943/1952: Polish production model with wooden stock.
Type 54: Chinese production model. Very similar to PPS-43.
Type | Sub machine gun |
---|---|
Caliber | 7.62x25mm Tokarev |
Magazine | 35 rounds |
Operation | Blowback operated, open bolt |
Fire selector | 0-F |
Rate of fire | 600 - 900 rpm |
Barrel length | 273 mm |
---|---|
Rifling | ? |
Muzzle velocity | 500 m/s |
Stock | Foldable |
Length | 907 mm / 641 mm |
Width | ? |
Height | ? |
---|---|
Weight | 2.95 kg |
Sights | Iron sights, blade front and flip up rear sight, 100 and 200 m gradations |
Remarks | - |
Type | Sub machine gun |
---|---|
Caliber | 7.62x25mm Tokarev |
Magazine | 35 rounds |
Operation | Blowback operated, open bolt |
Fire selector | 0-F |
Rate of fire | 600 - 900 rpm |
Barrel length | 243 mm |
---|---|
Rifling | ? |
Muzzle velocity | 500 m/s |
Stock | Foldable |
Length | 820 mm / 615 mm |
Width | ? |
Height | ? |
---|---|
Weight | 3.04 kg |
Sights | Iron sights, blade front and flip up rear sight, 100 and 200 m gradations |
Remarks | - |